Regulating-valve.



A. BBLER.

REGULATING VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

j ZA 3/ Witnesses Inventor,

by l

. I I 7 I Attorneys.)

A. BBLER.

REGULATING VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1912.

1,126,177. Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

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l V r 3 5 5 Z '3 i :5 5 jg i, 3 z 14 22 g; zy $6 J61 i {L i j "umu 23 15 i I i I i 2 u I E i a v V 3d 5' 7 1 Z Z Attorneys UNiTED STATES PATENT orrron.

moms BELEB, or r irrsnunsn, PENNSYLVANIA.

REGULATING-VALVE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AnoLF BELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at'Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Regulating-Valve, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valves for regulating the supply of gas used inconnection with what are commonly known as instantaneous water heaters, one of its objects being to provide novel means whereby the quantity of fuel consumed in heating the water will be regulated automatically so that the temperature of the heated water will be maintained practically constant.

A further objectis to provide a thermostatically controlled valve of novel form whereby the supply of fuel may be regulated automatically.

Another object is to provide novel means whereby, when water. is withdrawn from the heater, the pressure of water within the service or supply pipe will operate to open the fuel controlling valve and maintain it open dependent, however, upon the action ofthe thermostatically operated mechanism.

A further object is to provide controlling mechanism of this character which is simple in construction, will not readily get out of order, and the parts of which can be easily adjusted. 7

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the-invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown. In said drawings :Figure 1 is a front elevation of a water heater having the present improvements combined therewith. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view ,partlyinelevation and partly-in section of the regulating valve mechanism constituting the present inven tion. F ig; 3 is a transverse section through a portion ofthe thermostat. I Referrin to the figures by characters of reference, designates, generally, a water heater utilizing a coil B, which can be of i any preferred type, and a burner C.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Jan. 26., new.

Application flied novembr e, 1912. Serial No. 730,234.

The regulating mechanism constituting the present-invention is adapted to be placed at any suitable point upon the heater and has been shown specifically in Fig. 2. This mechanism includes a casing 1 provided at one end with a removable head 2, there being a spider 3 within said end of the casing. A water mlet 4 opens into the casing at a point near the spider 3 and communicates with a water supply pipe 5. A pipe 6 extends from the casing 1 near that end remote from the splder and serves to conduct cold water to the heating coil.

Slidably mounted in the casing 1 is a piston or valve of novel form and indicated generally at 7. This valve includes a disk 8 of metal provided, at its periphery with guide fingers 12 adapted to slide upon the inner surface of the casing 1 and to limit the sliding movement of the valve in one direction.

Extending through the center of the disk 8 and preferably screwed thereinto is a tubular core 13 which is closed at that end nearest the fingers 12 and is provided, between the disk 8 and its closed end, with peripheral outlets 14. A threaded stem '15 is mounted in the center of the spider and has a disk-like seat 16 mounted thereon and is normally in contact with the open end of the core 13. Guide .fingers 17 may be extended from the seat 16 into the core 13 so as to properly guide the core toward and from its seat 16.

A second metal disk 18 is arranged upon the core 13 and interposed between the two.

the closed end of the casing and also through the bracket is a stem 21, one end of which .is secured to or formed with the core 13.

Aspring 22 extends around that portion of the stem within the casing 1 and bears at 'itsends against the core and the casing 1 respectively.so as thus to hold the core normally pressed against the seat 16.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that whenever water is withdrawn from the coil to which the 'pipe 6 is con-. nected, the pressures within the casing 1 will become unequal, the water entering the casingthrough inlet 4 operating to press the loo valve 7 longitudinally within the casing until the fingers 12 come against the closed end of the casing. As soon as this movement of the valve begins, water is free to pass between the core 13 and its seat 16 and will thus flow through the core and its ports 14 and thenceinto that portion of the cas- I ing 1 back of valve 7 so as to enter the pipe 6. The valve 7 will be maintained in position to permit the flow of water through the casing, as long as water is being withdrawn from the pipe 6. It is apparent of course that the pressure of water upon the valve 7 is suflicient to overcome the resistance oiiered by the spring 22. When, however, the withdrawal of water from the system is stopped, the spring 23 acts to shift the valve 7 back to its closed position and thus cut oil the passage of water into the core 13.

In order that the supply of fuel to the burner of the heater may begin simultaneously with the circulation of water through the coil due to the withdrawal of a portion of the water, a novel form of fuel controlling valve and connections between it and the water controlling valve have been provided. By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that I provide a valve casing 23 designed to receive gas from a supply pipe 24, there being an outlet pipe 25 for conductin g gas to the burner. A valve 26 is movably mounted in the casing 23 and has a stem 27 which extends beyond the casing and contacts normally with one end of a lever 28. This lever is fulcrumed, as at 29, upon a portion of the bracket 20 and a spring 30 bears against that end of lever 28 remote from stem 27 and thus acts to press the lever against the stem and to hold the valve 26 upon its seat 31. Spring 30 may he held against displacement by mounting it in a barrel 32 carried by the bracket. A spring 33 is interposed between valve and the wall casing 23.so as to automatically unseat the valve when lev r 28 is moved away from the stem 27. Un er normal conditions, however, spring 30 is suificiently strong to hold valve 26 upon its seat and to maintain the spring 33 under stress. That end portion of lever 28 to which spring 30 is connected is located in the path of stem 21 but normally out of contact with the stem. When, however, the valve 7 is shifted by the pressure of water thereagainst and in the manner hereinbefore described, the stem 21, which moves with the valve 7, presses against lever 28 and shifts it so as to compress spring 30. The other end of lever 28 thus moves away from the valve casing 23 and sprin 33 promptly acts to shift valve 26 ofi of 1ts seat. Thus gas is free to flow from pipe24 to pipe 25 and thence to the burner where it will be ignited by the pilot light which is used as ordinarily.

burner may be automatically regulated so as to maintain the temperature of the Water constant, a novel form of thermostatically controlled mechanism is employed. This mechanism includes a casing 34 which is secured to the bracket 20 and communicates, through a pipe 35, with the outlet end of the coil B. That end of the casing removed from the pipe 35 is in communication with the pipe 36 which extends to the point where Water is to be drawn oil from the system. A longitudinal channel 37 is formed in the casing 34 and seated loosely within this channel is a stem 38 of porcelain or other material which will-not expand to an ap-' posed pairs of oppositely extending projections 41 and 42, the projections 41 being contacted by a nut 43 which is adjustably mounted on the pipe 36. The projections 42 bear downwardly upon diametrically opposed portions of a ring 44which is arranged loosely about the upper portion of thencasing 34 and bears downwardly upon the point 39.

An angular arm 45 extends from the ring 44 and has a forked free end. 46 which straddles stem 27 and is disconnected therefrom. A spring retaining barrel or casing 47 extends from casing 34 and has a spring 48 therein. This spring bears against a plate 49 which is adjustably connected, as by means of a screw 50, to the arm 45. Thus 1t will be seen that this spring, which is constantly under stress, operates to press the ring 44 against the point 39 and the pro- ]ections 42. A collar 51 is provided on the stem 27 and in the path of the forked end 46 of arm 45.

From the foregoing it will be seen that after gas has been turned on inthe manner hereinbefore described, the water in the coil will be heated and, in passing to the point of use, will flow through the casing 34 and heat it. Thus the casing will be expanded longitudinally and, as the nut 43 is fixedly connected to the casing, it will be apparent that this nut will, as a result of such expansion move away from the bearing po1nt39 on the non-expansible stem 38. As spring 8 is constantly under stress, it will operatejautomatically to swing the ring 44 during this relative movement of nut 43 and, as a result, the forked end of the arm 45 will be pressed against the collar 51 which, when the valve 26 is open, contacts with the am 45. This pressure of the arm against flow of water through the casing 1 and as the movement of the valve 26' is thus dependent upon the temperature of the water passing through casing 34 it will be apparent that said temperature will be maintained practically the same. It is to be understood of course that the spring 48 must be stronger than spring 33 so as to cause the valve 26 to be seated against the action of said spring 33.

By'providing an adjustable seat 16, the normal position of valve 7 can be varied so as to require any desired degree of pressure to open the valve. Likewise the nut 43 can be adjusted to regulate the action of the thermostat and the tension of spring 48 can bev varied in order to get the proper action therefrom.

It will be noted that the fingers 17 which extend 'from the seat 16 converge toward the seat so as thus to form tapered spaces whereby, when the valve 7 is shifted away from the seat, water will be admitted gradually to the core 13.

What is claimed is:

1. In regulating apparatus for instantaneous water heaters, a pressure. operated water valve, a stemmovable therewith, a gas valve, a stem carried thereby, a spring pressed lever normally contacting with the stem of the gas valve to hold said. valve.

tion of its spring, constituting means for f shifting the gas valve toward its seat.

2. In water heating apparatus, the combination with a coil, of a pressure operated water valve connected to the intake end of the coil, a stem movable with said valve, a gas valve, 'a burner communicating therewith, a stem carried by the gas valve, a spring pressed lever normally contacting with the stem of the gas valve to hold said valve seated, the stem" of the water valve being movable against the lever to release the stem of the gas valve, means for automatically unseating the gas valve upon the release of its stem, an expansible hot water conductor connected to the outlet end of the coil and constituting a thermostat, a member movable therewith, a non-expansible element constituting a bearing for said member, aspring for shifting the member during the expansion of the thermostat, said member, during its movement under the action of its spring, constituting means for shifting the gas valve toward its seat.

3. In regulating apparatus forinstantaneous water heaters, a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a valve slidably mounted in the casing and between the inlet and outlet, said valve including a tubular core extending therethrough and open at its inlet end and having an outlet port adjacent its other end, a seat in the path of the core at the 1nlet side of the valve and guide fingers e3:- tendin'g from the seat and into the core, said fingers converging toward the seat, and yielding means for pressing the open end of the core against the seat to close the spaces between the fingers.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ADOLF BEILER.

Witnesses:

SELINA Wninsoiv, HERBERT D. Lawson. 

